Journalist Dey murder case: Chhota Rajan aide arrested

Mumbai: An alleged bookie and aide of underworld don Chhota Rajan, who is suspected to have had a key role in the killing of senior crime reporter Jyotirmoy Dey, was on Sunday arrested, taking the total number of arrests in the case to eight.

"Vinod Asrani alias Vinod Chembur, a bookie who was suspected to have helped the shooters identify Dey, was picked up for questioning and subsequently arrested," said a Crime Branch official.

"We have information that he (Asrani) held a meeting with shooters days before the murder and also handed over money to the killers," the official alleged.

Asrani was produced before a local court, which remanded him to police custody till July seven, the official said.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Himanshu Roy and Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Deven Bharti were unavailable for comment on the development. Neither of them replied to text messages.